Halfords Highlights the Growth of Cycling Tribes in new TV Ad

Tue, Jun 18, 2013 12:44 CET

The rising popularity of cycling has echoes of Britain’s tribal past – according to Halfords new TV advert. The film that is due to hit screens on Wednesday 19th June, focuses on the competition between the different tribes of cyclists and the passions each of them has for their particular type of cycling.

Produced by advertising agency, Mother, the advert highlights the growing appeal of cycling to all ages and interests, whether travelling to work, popping to the shops, getting fit or just having fun - and Halfords unique offer that provides bikes for all age groups and uses.

It features a variety of ‘cycling tribes’ from the keen racer or occasional rider, to housewives, safety first learners, BMXers, and mountain trail hipsters, to illustrate the widespread appeal of the bike. The 'tribes' compete in a bike race at Box Hill in Surrey, made famous as last Summer’s Olympic road race route.

BMXers fly over grass verges, the MAMILs (middle-aged men in lycra) struggle up the steep incline on Boardman road bikes, mums join in on their wicker-basket-fronted Pendleton shopping bikes while the cycle proficiency fraternity practice their hand signals and an overweight peddler builds up a sweat.

Throughout the Ad the different tribes battle for cycling supremacy.

In a humorous twist the racing cyclists are all left standing - by a group of small girls swarming past on their pretty pink bikes, leaving the racers fuming and strewn in a heap after a spectacular crash. The excited youngsters rush over the finish line to celebrate their glorious victory and claim their reward at the waiting ice-cream van. The winner gives a cheeky grim as the end line pops up “Halfords – Get On Your Bike.”

Halfords Marketing Director, David Durie says “Halfords aims to inspire cyclists of all ages to get on their bikes. So we wanted to demonstrate that you can have fun cycling no matter who you are or why you are doing it. Halfords sells a complete range of Bikes, so we have something for every cyclist.“

Tim McNaughton, Creative Director at Mother says “The Ad is a summertime ode that celebrates all the various tribes of British cyclists and we hope will inspire viewers to get out there on their bikes. It’s a feel good celebration of the widespread joy of summer cycling; something the whole nation can rally around.”

About Us

Halfords is the UK's leading retailer of automotive, cycling and leisure products and, through Halfords Autocentres, also one of the UK's leading independent car servicing and repair operators. Halfords customers shop at 465 stores in the UK and ROI and at halfords.com for pick-up at their local store or direct home delivery. Halfords Autocentres operates from around 300 sites nationally and offers motorists dealership-quality MOTs, repairs and car servicing at affordable prices.
The Halfords group strategy is based on three pillars:
· Supporting Drivers Of Every Car
· Inspiring Cyclists Of Every Age
· Equipping Families For Their Leisure Time
The Getting Into Gear strategy for the Retail business is based on executing in five key areas in order to deliver a significantly-enhanced customer experience:
· Service Revolution
· The H Factor
· Stores Fit to Shop
· 21st Century Infrastructure
· Click with the Digital Future
Halfords employs approximately 12,000 colleagues and sells around 9,000 product lines in store, increasing to around 160,000 Retail products online. The Retail offering encompasses significant ranges in car parts, cycling products, in-car technology, child seats, roof boxes and camping equipment. Halfords’ own cycling brands include Apollo, Carrera and Boardman cycles, augmented by a range of other brands of cycles and accessories, including Kona, Mongoose, Raleigh and Pinarello. In Auto, the Halfords Essentials and Halfords Enhanced ranges are sold alongside brands such as Generic Electric, Bosch, Garmin and TomTom. The Retail Auto offering was recently augmented by the introduction of Car Parts Direct, a service delivering rapid customer access to around 130,000 car parts. In Travel Solutions, Halfords sells a premium range of camping equipment including brands such as Vango and Outwell. Halfords offers customers expert advice and a fitting service for car parts, child seats, satellite navigation and in-car entertainment systems, and a service for cycles.